Pipe-jointing element



Nov. V23 1926. 1,608,470

w. c. FERGUSON PIWPE JOINTING ELEMENT Filed June 13, 1924 i INVENTOE M//Y//m Efe/305cv?.

HTTOENE f5 Patented Nov.. 23, IQZ

STATES WILLIAM C. FERGUSON, 0F ST. LOUS, MISSOURI.

PIPEJOINTING- ELEMENT.

Application filed June 13, 1924.

This invention relates to joints for sewer pipe and water pipe of the bell and spigot type.

In laying pipe of the type referred to it is the usual commercial custom to join the pipe together either by packing cement or mortar in the bell portion of each pipe after the spigot end of the adjacent pipe has been inserted in the bell, -or by filling the space between the bell on one pipe and the spigot end ot the adjacent pipe with oakum and asphalt that is flowed into said space when it is in a molten state. Cement joints are objectionable, in that they are inelastic and liable to break in the event the pipe settle,

thus producing cracks or open joints in the line through which the liquid flowing through the line can 'escape and through which tree roots can penetrate into thedine and clog same. Poured joints'formedfrom hot asphalt are superior in many respects to concrete joints, but they require the services of a skilled mechanic: they are expensive to produce and they are not absolutely reliable, as the hot asphalt very often chills before it has owed into the space which it is designed to fill, thus leaving a crack or opening in the joint that escapes detection at the time the joint is produced. Neither cement joints nor poured asphalt'joints canbe produced under water; they cannot .be tightened in the event a leak develops without removing the material from which they are constructed, and they are not well adapt ed for joining pipe that are connected to- `gether on the surface of the ground and then lowered into aditch.

One object of my invention is to provide a practical jointing element for pipe of the bell and spigot type which will produce a joint that is absoluteljY water-tight; that has suliicient elasticity or flexibility to prevent it from opening up or causing the bell portions ot' the pipe in a pipe line to break in the event the pipe line settles. and that has all of thefdesirable characteristicsot a poured as phalt joint, but is more reliable, less expensive to produce and is capable of being produced quickly and easily by an unskilled mechanic.

Another object is to provide a jointing element for bell and spigot pipe which 1s of such a character that a watertight joint can be produced under water.-

Serial No. 719,795.

Another object of my invention is -to provide a practicable inexpensive jointing element for bell and spigot pipe that can be manufactured and shipped complete ready for insertion in the bell of a pipe at the point where pipe are being laid, and thus do away with the expense of making joints from materials that either have to be mixed or heated to a high degree at the place where the joints are being produced. y Another object is to provide' a jointing element of the kind referred to that will produce a water-tight joint between two pipe whose bell and spigot are not true and synunetrical.

Another object is to provide a jointing element for bell and spigot pipe that can be tightened easily in the event a leak develops and without the necessityot' removing said element from the bell of the pipe with which it co-operates.

Another object is to provide a jointing element for bell and spigot pipe that can be arranged in the bell ot' a pipe before the pipe is lowered into a ditch and which is of such design that it will automatically center the spigot end of one pipe in the bell of the adjacent pipe. And still another object is to provide a jointing element for bell and spigot pipe which is of such design that after it has been installed portions of said element will be positioned between the abutting ends of the adjacent pipe and also between the spigot end of one pipe and the bell of the other pipe. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

To this end I have devised a pipe jointing element which consists of a gasket or deormable, water-proof member formed of asphalt or an asphaltic compound that is adapted to b/e arranged in the bell of one pipe and then subjected to pressure from the spigot of the other pipe in such a wa `as to. cause said member to completely til the annular space between said spigot and bell. The jointing element may either be of annular form or in the form of a strip that can be positioned inside of the bell with its ends abutting, and in most instances the body ot said jointing element will be formed of an asphaltic compound of such consistency that the jointing element can heY hanvformi of my invention herein illustrated the jointing element consists of a gasket or core formed from a water-proof, plastic asphaltic compound, and an outer case or covering for said core that will permit the core to deform in such a way as to become packed tightly between the abutting ends yof the pipe and between the bell and spigot during the operation ofv forcing the spigot into the bell. In a jointing element adesigned for use withsewer pipe it is preferable to encase the core in a tubular outer cover or casing formed from an inexpensive fabric, such as a porous cotton fabric, due to the fact that an outer covering formed from such material permits the plastic core to ooze through the meshes of the outer cover, and thus form an adhesive coating on the exterior of the jointing element that will adhere to the inner surface of the bell of one pipe and the outer surface of the spigot end of the adjacent pipe. I wish it to be understood, however, that it is immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, what particular kind of an asphaltic ysubstance is used to form the core and what particular kind of fabric is used to.form the casing of the core, so long as the core isA of such consistency that it will be capable of deforming and flowing during the deforming operation, and the outer case or covering will permit deformation of the core, but will retard the fiowing of the core sufficiently to prevent the core from extruding into the barrels of the pipe and insure the core being packed tightly into the space which the jointing element is intended to fill.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a sectional view, illustrating a jointng element constructed in accordance with my invention arranged in operative position in the bell of a pipe before the spigot end of the adjacent pipe is introduced into said bell.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, illustrating the comple-ted joint, showing how the spigot end of one pipe deforms the jointing element when said spigot end is forced into the bell of the adjacent pipe.

Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary views of Figures l and 2, respectively.

Figure is a sectional view, illustrating a jointing element of slightly -different form from that shown in Figure 1, showing said jointing element positioned in the bell of one pipe before the spigot end of the adjacent pipe is forced into said bell; and

Figure fis a view, illustrating how the jointing element shown in Figure 5 is deforiied by the operation of forcing the spi ot into the bell.

n the drawings A designates the bell of a conventional sewer pipe9 andr B designates the spigot of an adjacent pipe that is adapted to be inserted in said bell. Prior to the voperation of inserting the spigot A in the bell B a jointing element, designated as an entirety by the reference character C, is ar,

`terial permits the plastic substance from which the core l is formed to ooze through the fabric 2-and adhere tothe inner face of the bell A ct one pipe and the spigot end B of the. adjacent pipe. The jointing element C may either be of annular form or in the form of a strip that can be arranged inside of the bell A with its ends abutting. The particular cross-sectional shape of said jointing element can also be varied, but when the jointing element is designed for use with conventional sewer pipe, the edge of same that ,is arranged adjacent the outer end of the bell will be made slightly tapered and of less thickness than the `other edge portion o f said jointing element that is arranged at the inner end of the bell. If the case or covering 2 oftheijointing element is formed from fabric, said fabric is wrapped around the core 1 so as to form a tubular casing that surrounds the core, and the edge portions of said fabric are simply overlapped, because no ha is done if said overlapped portions sepai `or pull apart in the operation of deforrnlng the joiiiting element, due to the fact that the overlapped portions of the fabric are located on therear face of the joipting element C that bears against the inner surface of the bell A.

After the -jointing element C has been positioned inside of the bell A of one pipe, the spigot end B of the adjacent pipe is presged into said bell with sufficient force to seat said spigot in the bell, as shown in Figure 2, it being possible to do this with a jack or a lever device arranged in engagement with the pipe whose spigot end is being forced into the bell of the adjacent pipe. The cndwise movement of the spigot B causes the jointing element C to be deformed in such a Way that portions of said jointing element are packed tightly in the annular space between the outer surface of the spigot B and the inner surface ofthe bell A and between the end of the spigot B and thek abutting end of the adjacentpipe from which the bell A, projects. If it were not for the outer case or covering 2 of the joint-v ing the operation of forcing the spigot home. This would be an impossible condition, as the protruding material would form an ob- :tructiou and greatly diminish the capacity ot the conduit formed by the pipe. The outer covering 2, however, el'ectually prevents this from occurring and causes the plastic core l of the joiuting clement to tlow back between the outer surface of the spigot and the inner surface ot the tell, due, ot' course, to the endwise pressure the spigot exerts on the portion ot the jointing element that lies between the abutting ends of the pipe. As the platic portion ot the jointing element flows back it sets up a pressure in the case or covering 2 ot the jointing elemeut` forcing the plasticI material that constitutes the core l into the texture of the outer casing thoroughly saturating it and pressing it with great force against the walls of the surrounding pipe. Thi; has a very desirable effect., as under'this pressure all the voids are lilled in the annular space between the spigot and bell and an absolutely water-tight joint is obtained. The pressure on the plasticl jointing material, created by the endwise movement of the spigotinto the bell, produces exactly the same conditions in the jointing element C as would be produced by caulking said jointing element, without the expenditure of time and labor involved in a caulking operation.

An important feature of the design of the jointing element C is that which determines the amount of the outer case or covering 2 which is pinched between the spigot end of one pipe and the abutting end oit' the adjacent pipe. The ideal design will allow the outer covering 2 of the jointing element C to come just to the inner face ot the barrels of the pipe, as this effectively closes the joint between the abutting ends of the pipe and still does not form an obstruction inside of the pipe barrels.` As it is intended to use this jointing element on pipe such as vitriied clay, the diameter and shape of which are very irregular, as well as on pipe having more uniform dimensions, it is necessary, in order to get a pressure on "the jointing element in the annular space between the pipe, to depend on other than the wedging action between the outside of the spigot end ot one pipe and the inside of the bell of the adjacentpipe, as this wedging action cannot be depended upon. This is due to the great variation in sizes and shape of individual pipe. However, the use of a plastic substance to form the core of the jointing element permits the join-ting'element to take such shape as is necessary in each particular joint and thus completelywll up all the inequalities and unevennes's between the two pipes. Although the core is suiiciently plastic to permit it to deform to the shape ofthe space,

it is intended to till, it will, of course, bc understood that the core is stiff enough or of such consistency that the joint-ing clement will retain its shape in shipment, in storage,` or when it is being handled in the operation of using saine.

Another feature ot' the design which tends tofmake the joint absolutely watertight is that which is produced by the corner 3 of the spigot B engaging Athe inner side ot' the cover 2 of the jointing element andI pulling that sid-e of said cover in with it as it is forced into the bell A. This reduces the area within the case or covering 2 of the jointing element and helps to set up pressure that forces the plastic core l of the jointing element through the outer covering 2 and into the por-es ot the pipe.

In view of the fact that the core l ot' the jointing element-C is made ot' a plastic or semi-plastic substance, ,it is preterableto make the jointing element C in the form of strips which are of such cross-sectional shape that when two of said strips'- are placed face to face the thin tapered .edge portion of one strip Will be disposed 'oppositely to the thick edge portion of the other strip, thereby causing the strips to mutigj ally support each other and permitting them to be packed solidly in a rectangular container.

The jointing element C, shown in Figure 5, has all ot' the ldesirable characteristics of the jointing element C shown in Figures 1 to 4, but it is of slightly dil'erent shape in cross-section and tapers gradually from its inner towards its outer edge. In the operation of forcing the spigot home the pressure to which the jointing element is subjected causes the core of same to be dcformed into the cross-sectional shape shown in Figure 6, the overlapped portions ot the outer casing 2 of the jointing element moving relatively to aeach other suliciently to provide for the flow or displacement ofthe plastic or substantially' plastic material from which the core is formed, as indicated in Figure 6.

Having thus described my invention` what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A jointing element for bell and spigot pipe that is adapted to be arranged inside of the bell on the end of one pipe and deformed by the pressure exerted on same by the abutting'ends of the .two opposed pipes as the spigot enters the bell, said ele-ment having a core formed of a substantially plastic asphaltic composition, and a fabric outer covering that encases said core.

2. A jointing element for bell and spigot pipe provided with a core. substantiall;7 wedge-shaped in cross section, which is formed of an asphaltic substance of such consistency that it will retain its shape until it is subjected to pressure in the operation of forcing the spigot into the bell and thereafter will deform and fill the space between the spigot and the bell without breaking the bell.

3. A jointing element for bell and spigot pipe provided with a core which is formed from an asphaltic substancev of such consistency that it will retain its shape until it is subjected to pressure in the operation of forcing the spigot into the bell and thereafter Will ydeform and ilLthe space between the spigot and the bell, a'nd a fabric casing surrounding said core.

4. A jointing element for bell and spigot pipe provided with al core of substantially triangular shape in cross section constructed ot an asphaltic compound that. is plastic enough to Ideform and thus fill the space between the spigot and the bell when the core is subjected to pressure during the operation of forcing the spigot into the bell, and a. strip of fabric surrounding said core and having its edge portions positioned on the ranged in the bell of a pipe in such a posi-` tion that the co-operatin-g pipe spigot which is forced into said bell will cause said'member to be packed tightly in the space `between the abutting ends of said pipe and in the annular space between the spigot and the bell. 4

6. A pipe jointing element consisting ot a strip-like member of substantially Wedgel shape in cross section that is adapted to be bent into ring form and arranged in the bell of a pipe with its thin edge positioned adjacent the mouth of the bell, said member having a ycre formed of a substantially plastic asphaltic composition, and a 'fabric 45 casing or covering for said core.

WILLIAM c. FERGUSON. 

